I love to travel. I would say it's one of my passions. To me, long flights that make your feet fall asleep a countless amount of times is worth it because you get to, well, fly a few thousand meters above sea level. I would like to ask you question though. What is the first thing you do when you are seated in your seat on the plane? Perhaps look at what is being served later or scan through the movie collection on your portable player?
The first thing I do is, look for the in flight magazine. I know what you are thinking. "In flight magazines are so boring and just are filled with pictures" I agree some in flight magazines are a pure torture to read which is why most of us choose to ignore it but some are really interesting. I'll be honest with you and say this, in flight magazines was what sparked my interest to become a travel writer. Half of the places that I have visited is because of an in flight magazine. I would have never visited a restaurant that looked
As an avid traveler, I rely a lot on reviews. Most in flight magazines provide an inside to the destination you are heading to. Others review on other fascinating places around the world. I have learnt a lot from these magazines. The do's and don'ts in certain countries, what to eat, how to get around, the tricks the locals use to con us and so on.
I can say that I've flew in a few airlines. Which means, I have read quite a few different in flight magazines. I'll be honest again and say that one of the most boring in flight magazine I've read is "Travel 3sixty" which can be found in Air Asia. I'm not saying it's bad, all I'm saying is, being one of the best low cost carrier in the Asia, you think they would put more effort into publishing a magazine. I would not entirely blame them though, I guess their strategy is to focus on countries in this region. There are reviews on countries outside of this continent but they pop up once in a blue moon. When I read a review, I mostly look for the writer's experience, not the history of the place. That is the one thing that this magazine lacks besides of the fact that 75% of the entire magazine is filled with ads. Again, I don't blame them as in flight magazines provide a great platform for advertisers.
What is my favourite in flight magazine you ask? Open Skies would be my answer. Open Skies is the in flight magazine for Emirates Airlines. The reason why I love this magazine is that unlike other magazines, it's sassy. That's right, this magazine has attitude. Even their ads are so well placed, you can't help but to read it. Their reviews are not restricted to a certain region too. There is also this section that I love reading which is called "My Traveled Life" which is written either by someone famous or by any normal person. It's basically where you give your opinion on a country about the people, the future and so on. I love reading it because it's sort of like a spoken review. The writer just writes about he felt while he was in that country. I also love that little cartoon they put at the bottom of the page, it's so adorable, you can't help but smile even though your legs are probably cramp thanks to the long flight.
The pictures in this magazine not only show you the beauty of the country, but also the way the people live their lives. And to me, that is how a review should be, to show not only what the visitors see, but what the locals see everyday. Even though Open Skies can only be found in Emirates, I actually google search for it every month just to see this month's copy.
Many people over look in flight magazines because they feel their just published for a certain category of people. Truth is, they cater to everyone! You can actually learn a lot from it. I for one have learnt about different cultures, how to survive in another country with a low budget and how to write reviews that amuse people. I definitely have to thank Open Skies for getting me interested in travel writing!
So next time you board a plane, make sure to pick up the in flight magazine and be surprised with the content! I'm sorry this post is lengthy, I just had so much to say about this!
No comments:
Post a Comment